National Volleyballer Provides Scholarships for Students

JIS Features

July 11, 2019

Written by: Candice Stewart

Dr. Naima Stennett

Photo: Contributed

Story Highlights

Jamaican volleyball player, Dr. Naima Stennett, has established an SAT exam scholarship, The Dr. Naima A. Stennett Scholarship Fund, to assist needy high school students in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to cover the cost of their college admission test for eligibility to study in the United States.

The fund, which was established in 2013, provides full coverage of the SAT and a host of supplementary support services including study material.

“As a student athlete in Jamaica, I was given the opportunity to represent the country through playing volleyball. Based on my sportsmanship and academic achievement, I earned a scholarship to college…I have had many helping hands and I feel it is my duty to open doors for those coming up behind me,” Dr. Stennett says in a recent JIS interview.

Jamaican volleyball player, Dr. Naima Stennett, has established an SAT exam scholarship, The Dr. Naima A. Stennett Scholarship Fund, to assist needy high school students in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to cover the cost of their college admission test for eligibility to study in the United States.

The fund, which was established in 2013, provides full coverage of the SAT and a host of supplementary support services including study material.

“As a student athlete in Jamaica, I was given the opportunity to represent the country through playing volleyball. Based on my sportsmanship and academic achievement, I earned a scholarship to college…I have had many helping hands and I feel it is my duty to open doors for those coming up behind me,” Dr. Stennett says in a recent JIS interview.

Dr. Stennett understands that sports is valuable at the high school level. She notes that it provides students with the opportunity to become well-rounded in leadership qualities and teamwork practices, as well as to obtain academic and athletic scholarships.

Since its inception, close to 20 students from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have received the scholarship. The application process is a rolling one and as such, there are no deadlines for submission.

One of the first recipients of the scholarship, Tiffany Clarke, formerly of the St. Andrew High School for Girls, benefitted in 2013. She was successful in the SAT examinations and studied at the George Mason University in Virginia. She graduated in 2017 after four years of academic and sporting excellence.

Tiffany is grateful for being one of the first recipients and states that the scholarship has been a stepping stone to achieving her goals.

“The SAT scholarship is important, as it assists students in the process of realising their dreams and reaching their fullest potential. This opportunity not only provides financial support for the SAT but it inspires students knowing that others are willing to invest in their future,” says Tiffany.

Student from Trinidad and Tobago, Reann Young, received the scholarship in 2017 and is a member of Georgia Southern University, Georgia, class of 2020. She shares that being able to sit the exam, at no cost to her, offered her the opportunity to focus on her studies.

“Having a scholarship like the SAT Fund helps students with the confidence to pursue other goals. It is important for students to recognise their own potential early in their academic career so that they may experience growth. Receiving help with SAT helps students in that journey,” says Reann.

Dr. Stennett tells JIS News that her greatest achievement is being able to “…see the SAT scholarship recipients matriculate through their various four year universities…” knowing that she was able to help and be a part of their journey. Additionally, she shares a sense of accomplishment by being able to grow the scholarship for six years.

She shares, as well, that the Jamaica Volleyball Association has partnered with her in an effort to ensure that promising student athletes have a fighting chance to matriculate into colleges.

As an advocate for health, wellness and fitness, Dr. Stennett graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on a full volleyball scholarship while playing for the National Volleyball team. She earned her medical degree from East Carolina University located in North Carolina in 2017.

Today, Dr. Stennett wraps up her Family Medicine Residency with the University of Miami at Jackson Memorial Hospital. She was recently awarded the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine Resident scholarship. Her goal is to complete a fellowship in Sports Medicine after which she hopes to work with young athletes in the Caribbean especially from Jamaica.

For more information about the scholarship, go to www.naimasatfund.org/.